Vaike was not a dreamer, but he still clung tightly to the only one he ever had: to be the greatest warrior that ever lived. Impossible, you say. There will always be someone stronger. Time would test his strength and wither him away. Like all the fools before him that strove for such a goal, he would disappear into the annals of history as another dreamer. But he was not a dreamer. He was Teach and he was going to educate the world of his greatness, one battle at a time.

At least, that's what he told himself, even as Lon'qu kicked him squarely in the gut. He stumbled, nearly dropping his axe. "Damn, that smarts!"

Lon'qu rose to his full height, muscles loosening as he observed. "You'll have worse to worry about than my boot on the battlefield. Even a dagger would be your end."

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah, 'put a shirt on'. Hear it all the time, but that ain't the way I do things." He patted his chiseled abs with a smirk. "I get healed up in no time anyways, it really ain't a big deal."

"A warrior shouldn't get hit… if they're proficient, that is."

Vaike raised a brow. He shouldered his axe as he faced Lon'qu. "That so? Maybe if I was all skin and bones like you, ol' Teach would be scared." He sauntered back into position. "The Vaike can take-"

Like a gust of wind, Lon'qu darted into action. He unsheathed his sword and in one fluid motion pointed it was at Vaike's neck. He probed the fleshy weak spot, causing Vaike to flinch and grit his teeth. The axe had barely gotten off his shoulder and both of his hands were frozen on the shaft.

Lon'qu tilted his head. "A hit?" He finished Vaike's sentence. "You'll need more than guts and honor to survive a death blow."

Frowning, Vaike batted the sword away with his axe and forced Lon'qu to retreat. With an opening in front of him, Vaike surged forward.

Lon'qu's gaze flickered across Vaike's entire body. His axe was loose in his grip, following the back-and-forth swing of his arm as he ran. It was not at the ready. Vaike's eyes were set on Lon'qu's sword. Those eyes were not watching his stance or movements. Then it came, that familiar horizontal swing of his axe, with both hands.

All it took was a simple flick of his sword to deflect the attack. Vaike reeled back from the sudden shift in his momentum and could only stare wide-eyed at Lon'qu as the swordsman jabbed him in the stomach with his sheathed sword.

He was sent to the ground, his back impacting with the dirt. All air left his chest in a single exertion and his axe thumped to the ground as he let it go. "You really don't pull your punches."

"And you've been pulling that move all day." Lon'qu returned his sheathed sword to his side. "I had to make sure you learned your lesson this time."

He laughed, but it quickly sputtered into a coughing fit. "Damn right I learned that one." As he sat up, he noticeably winced. "Nothing I can't walk off…" Vaike steadied his arms on the ground, then picked himself up. He breathed in, awkwardly walking over to his axe. Once his hand wrapped around the shaft, he smiled at Lon'qu and held up his index finger at him.

Lon'qu narrowed his eyes, then nodded. He squatted, just enough to center his balance. One hand grasped the sheath of the sword, whilst the other brushed the hilt of his blade. It was rough, the leather was worn.

Parallel to him, Vaike almost went slack. His axe hand hung loose at his side and his other arm, fitted with a leather vambrace, rested at a comfortable height in front of himself. Lon'qu raised a brow at the sight of this but shook his head after a moment.

He shot forward like a bolt of lightning while Vaike lumbered into range. When they met halfway, Vaike suddenly arced his axe downward.

A simple sidestep cleared the blow. Not a moment later did Lon'qu unsheathe his sword and slash.

The sword careened towards Vaike's side, and he raised his off hand in response. His arm recoiled as the sword smacked into his vambrace. Vaike sucked in a sharp breath, his arm going numb. He moved his grip further up his axe, and with a twist, he countered with a wild swing.

Eyes wide, Lon'qu shifted his sword around the vambrace and blocked the axe. The raw strength of the blow coursed through him, but then, Lon'qu deflected the attack. He shifted left as he did this, ensuring that he was on the other side of the leather guard and attacked again.

Vaike turned hard to pull the same stunt again. Rather than feel the dull metal hit the leather, he felt it poke his stomach. "Wha-"

"Clever," Lon'qu said, "But it won't work twice." He retracted his sword after Vaike raised his hands in defeat.

"And here I thought I'd finally get a win."

Lon'qu tilted his head. "So, where'd you learn it?"

Shouldering his axe, Vaike frowned. "What, that little trick? Did it once in a fight. Hurt like hell, and the guy's sword still cut through the leather, but that's what let me come out on top."

"What of that stance?"

"Let's just say Teach has been busy." He smirked as Lon'qu gave him a deadpan stare.

"What in the hell is that even supposed to mean?"

Vaike shrugged. "Well, you know, material gets updated over the years. So, I figured a bit of reading wouldn't hurt."

"You've been… reading." He sheathed his sword and stepped away from Vaike.

"Yes!"

Lon'qu brought his palm to his face. "Okay, so how did you actually learn that stance? Basilio put you up to this, didn't he?" Lon'qu turned to look at Vaike as the two began their walk back to camp.

"I'm serious, man. Robin offered to help me learn how to read and I took her up on the offer. I got bored with the dusty old books she gave me, so I asked if she'd read books on combat with me." His lips pulled upward into an uncontrollable smile. "Figured I'd try out some of the things I learned. Doesn't seem to have worked as well I thought, but at least I still have a great excuse to spend time with a cutie like her."

Lon'qu rolled his eyes. "I was briefly impressed until you revealed your true intentions."

"Oh, come on! You can't blame me." He shoved Lon'qu, who merely glared at him. "People are starting to hook up and the Vaike wants a lady."

The two passed by Stahl and Sumia on the way into camp, both on patrol. Lon'qu offered a nod to them and waited until the two were out of earshot. "You have good taste at least," he muttered.

Vaike burst out laughing, then slapped Lon'qu on the back, "Oh man, what would I do without you?" It only took a moment for Lon'qu to shrug Vaike off, but he still smirked. "Let's get some grub and talk about this more over dinner. Teach wants to hear if you got a lady on your mind."

"There absolutely is not," Lon'qu said.

When they arrived at the mess tent, all was abuzz as Shepherds flitted between the food and their friends. Dinner was simple: potato soup and some vegetables. Vaike hadn't always been fond of non-meat meals, but after Robin had told him of essential foods and proper nutrition, he welcomed the change of pace.

Lon'qu returned with his third bowl. His gaze met Vaike's quizzical one.

"Never seen you eat this much," he said.

Lon'qu shrugged. "The food is agreeable tonight."

"Course it is, Cherche was on cooking duty." Vaike took a few sips of his own soup. "Tomorrow it's Frederick."

Raising a brow, Lon'qu looked towards the cooking area of the tent. He saw a flutter of pink hair, and when he looked a little longer, he found Cherche standing with her hands on her hips. She greeted Gregor as he approached and happily served him some food. There was a pause as she watched the older man go, still smiling. Then she looked at Lon'qu and her expression faltered.

Lon'qu turned back to Vaike. He was grinning ear to ear.

Oh no.

Vaike opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, Lon'qu slammed his palm across Vaike's mouth.

"Not a word. Do you understand?" He narrowed his eyes. "I know when and where you sleep."

Vaike mumbled something behind Lon'qu's hand.

Rolling his eyes, he removed his hand and gestured for Vaike to repeat himself.

"Yeah, and I know the same about you, doofus." His grin returned. "And hey, Teach didn't see nothin'."

Lon'qu sighed. That was good to hear-

"But oh man, what a woman to go for! 'Specially for Mr. No Girls Allowed."

He let out a heavier sigh as his shoulders went rigid.

"Wait a sec… oh so you like it when they're older, eh? Little more maturity, they know what they want. Thought a lady killer like you would go for-"

Lon'qu didn't quite slam his hand on the table, but it was enough to stop Vaike. He glared at the oaf, even as some of the closer Shepherds turned their attention to their squabbling. Something told him about the burning sensation in the back of his head meant that she was still watching too.

There was a pause while Vaike observed his little gathering of attention. His grin had diminished to a small smile, but his lips would twitch every so often and he would have to cover his mouth. The other Shepherds watched a while longer, but seeing as the conversation was halted, they turned away.

"In any case," Lon'qu said, his shoulders relaxing. "Have you done anything to further your own… pursuits?"

Vaike shrugged. "Been thinking on it a lot, but there ain't been a good opening." He leaned forward a bit, lowering his voice. "She's always got her head buried in her books or she's focused on her maps and tactics and stuff." The way her soft, brown eyes brushed over everything and the half-lidded gaze she adopted when thinking, highlighting her long lashes was enough to get Vaike's heart beating faster. "Tried to ask her to dinner last time I met with her but she shooed me out before I could finish. Said she had some training to do."

Frowning, Lon'qu glanced across the room at Chrom. An assortment of Shepherds surrounded him, chatting amongst each other. There were smiles all around, Lon'qu could feel the warmth exuding from their pack. But Robin was nowhere to be found in there, noted by Chrom's apparent distraction.

With a sigh, Lon'qu turned back to Vaike. He opened his mouth, then closed it as he looked away. "You should tell her." Lon'qu still couldn't look at him. "I don't have any credibility in these matters, but it's best to have a definitive answer than to be left always wondering."

"Huh." Vaike sat up straight, raising a brow. "Didn't peg you to be that thoughtful about this."

"Do it or don't. The decision's yours." Lon'qu felt his stomach drop and his meal lost all taste quite suddenly. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, standing up.

"Whoa there, what's the rush?"

Lon'qu paused, then continued on his way. He didn't look back.

Though his table was quieter than he liked, Vaike finished his meal. The soup warmed him up, and with a full belly, he could feel himself stand a little taller and his mind quieted. With his dirty dishes in hand – along with Lon'qu's – he returned them to the kitchen for cleanup. As he was making his way to the exit, Vaike made a last second detour.

"Hey there, Cherche." Vaike sat down parallel to her, offering his winning smile.

"Vaike." Cherche returned the gesture. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Her eyes crinkled at that, as if she were barely containing a laugh.

"Teach is mighty impressed with your cooking, so he thought he'd drop in and give you an A+."

"Oh it was nothing special, but I thank you anyways." She folded her hands in her lap. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

Vaike winced. "Yeesh, tough crowd."

"Forgive me, the whole 'flirty conversation' charade, even in jest, has been beaten to death by my liege." Cherche smiled. "I give you an A+ for creativity at least."

He waved that away. "Meh, it's no big deal. That ain't what I came here for." Vaike looked around, the rest of the conversations around him fading from his mind. He scooched his chair closer. "See I know Lon'qu well enough to know he ain't ever going to talk to you on his own so let's just say… he thinks you're interesting."

Cherche's eyes widened. "Is that so?"

"Oh yeah for sure." Vaike heard someone walking behind him and he instantly clammed up. When he didn't feel the cold grip of Lon'qu on his shoulder, he exhaled. "He'd kill me if he knew what I was doing, but maybe you might try and talk with him sometime? Break the ice, get him out of that thick head of his."

"I'd be happy to." Cherche beamed at him and Vaike felt blinded for a moment. What a woman indeed. "Truth be told, I've been meaning to speak with him. I think this little nudge from you was exactly what I needed."

Vaike grinned, leaning back in his chair. "That's what the Vaike does best, lady."

She laughed softly and shook her head. "Well, it's been an honor to be graced with your experience, Teach." She stood up, then offered her hand. "We should chat again, perhaps spar as well. Swap some techniques? I'd be interested to see what you've learned from Lon'qu."

He shook her hand. It was much smaller than his, but her grip matched his almost exactly. "Always happy to help."

With one last smile, she excused herself and Vaike soon followed. Once he was out of the mess tent, he meandered through the camp. Shepherds came and went wherever he went, some lost in their own worlds while others greeted him fully. It all blended together until he arrived at Robin's tent. The pounding of his heart only seemed to quicken when he stopped in front of it. Clearing his throat, Vaike took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"Hey sister, what's up?" He strolled inside, spotting Robin hunched over at her desk. She looked at him and his heart stopped.

"What did I tell you about barging into people's tents?" She glared at him.

He scratched his head. "It's impolite to walk in without checking if they're uh…"

"Decent."

"Yeah that."

Robin shook her head, a small smirk twitching on her lips. Vaike couldn't help but notice how full they were. "Do we need to go over why this is important for you to learn again? Maybe a trip down memory lane involving a horse and spying on women bath-"

"Nope, nope, nope. Never again." Vaike turned away, his face turning beet red. "The Vaike got carried away and is sorry for ever doing it." Thinking back to that time brought back the gnawing feeling in his chest. No amount of pushups made it go away and nor did the food he love make him feel like he did today. It was all bland, it was all the same. When he had spied on the women bathing, the rush of adrenaline in his veins brought back the color of life, if only for a moment. He'd never forget how wide his eyes went or how jittery his brain felt those days. But as soon as his private viewing was over, it was back to the slog, back to the gray.

"Vaike." Robin laid a hand on his shoulder. Her brows were furrowed as she scanned his face. "It's okay, really. You stopped."

"Yeah, I did." He lifted her hand off his shoulder. "Guess I figured that was as close I was gonna get, huh?" Just speaking about it stung more than any attack Lon'qu had hit him with. It was a piercing chill that ate away at his innards, it was something that couldn't be healed.

Robin sighed, stopping herself from reaching out to Vaike again. "Well, that's all in the past now. How about we pick up where we left off last time?"

Vaike nodded. "I'd like that."

He settled in to his seat next to Robin. There was a small smile on her lips as she looked at him, then she opened the book to the page they had been on the night before. "Basic grammar quiz!"

"Wha- hey that ain't fair!"

"No, it isn't fair, isn't it?" She waggled her eyebrows.

"We talked about this, 'ain't' is a word!"

Robin wagged her index finger. "But it's not proper grammar and you came here to learn the right way."

Vaike opened his mouth. He frowned as his brain went silent. "But…" He sighed, pointing to the open book to try and find some straws to grasp at, but all he clenched in his hand was air. "Yeah, I did."

Tilting her head, Robin looked at him with a raised brow.

"Yes, I did come here to learn the proper… rules and techniques." He smirked. "All from my wonderful and gracious teacher Robin, who is so smart and knowledgeable that I could only hope-"

Her laughter cut him off. It wasn't as if a small breeze passed through like how Olivia or Maribelle might laugh. Robin would wheeze, then the barking laughter that followed would get increasingly louder. Her whole face turned red as her eyes crinkled and her lips spread wide as she grinned uncontrollably. Vaike's whole body felt lighter just at hearing it and he soon found himself unable to hold back his own laughter.

They shared their moment, and when all quieted down again, Robin wiped a tear from her eye. "S-Sorry, you were doing really well. It just absolutely did not sound like you at all."

"No offense taken," Vaike said. "I think the world would be better with you laughing more anyways."

Robin sputtered, shaking her head. "Gods, no. I sound like a drunk sailor. Could you imagine the face of those nobles if I laughed like that?" She elbowed Vaike. "But thanks anyways, I appreciate it."

A few strands of white hair drifted across her face and Vaike was at a loss for words.

"Anyways." Robin pointed to a sentence in the book. "Don't think I've forgotten about the quiz. Tell me if this sentence is grammatically correct."

Though he sighed, Vaike didn't protest any further. He leaned forward and scanned the words one at a time, each processing in his mind. The sensation of Robin's eyes on him came and went as she split her attention between the book and him.

Vaike leaned back. "The commas are where they should be, everything is capitalized, and there's a period at the end of the sentence." He nodded. "It's good."

Smiling, Robin gave him a thumbs up. "And what about this one?"

He scanned the next sentence. "Shouldn't there be a question mark at the end of it?" Looking at Robin, she only looked back at him with pursed lips. Vaike smirked. "Sorry. What I meant was that the sentence is wrong and needs a question mark."

"That's correct." Robin patted his hand. "Even if you're wrong, always be confident in yourself." She skipped the next few sentences and instead went to the next page. "Last one, then we'll get on with some more practical learning."

Once more, he scanned over the sentence a few times. Robin propped her chin up on her hand as she watched him.

"No problems here."

Robin raised her brows, tapping the sentence with her index finger. "Are you sure?"

Frowning, Vaike looked it over again. "Still seeing nothing."

"What about this comma here?" Robin pointed to it.

The tent was silent as Vaike rubbed his chin. Each word repeated in his head along with rules of verbs, nouns, gerunds, and more. It was Robin's voice he heard in his consciousness. His eyes suddenly went wide. "It's a run-on sentence. The comma should be a period!"

"Well done." Robin clapped her hands together, barely hiding her goofy smile that Vaike loved. "I don't usually prod you like that but you were doing so well."

"Definitely needed it." Vaike relaxed his shoulders. "Not sure if I really understand it yet since, you know, it's new to me and all."

"In due time." Robin flipped through some pages of the book, opening it to a new chapter. "Now then, let's get started on the real meat of the lesson, shall we?"

And so they did. Under normal circumstances, Vaike would feel his eyes grow heavy, he'd start picking at his nails, or start daydreaming the moment he began reading. Working through writing amplified this even more. But each time he caught himself drifting, Robin would smile at him, or she'd brush an errant strand of hair behind her ear, or gently prod his shoulder with her slim hands. His eyes would lock right back onto the work set before him.

After an hour or so had passed, Robin stretched in her seat. "I think that's a good place to stop for today."

He felt himself begin to frown, but Vaike managed to force a smile. "You're the boss."

"Oh enough of that, I know your brain must be exhausted after all that. You're just too proud to say it." She shoved him slightly, laughing.

A joke formed and died in his throat. He had never been more awake and ready to learn than he did next to Robin. It was like swinging his axe or laughing through his pain; learning came as naturally as breathing when he was with her. When she looked at him, he didn't feel like the meathead oaf that everyone pegged him as. There was a warmth in her eyes that blanketed him and told him that it would be okay. That he could be himself and vulnerable. His world had been so incredibly colorful and full of life ever since he got to personally know her.

"You okay?" Robin tilted her head. "Wait, you'd tell me if there was something on my face right? Do I have bats in the cave?!" She covered her nose, a light blush coating her cheeks.

He laughed and tried to respond. But nothing came forth. His mind was abuzz, rampant with thoughts and memories of Robin. There were so many adjectives and wonderful things that he thought. But each time he tried to voice them, he paused. And like that, his words were lost to the wind.

So, he smiled instead. "Thank you."

Quirking a brow, Robin couldn't help but smile back. "You're starting to scare me. Are you actually Vaike?"

"Course I am. The one, the only, the Vaike!"

"There he is." Robin closed the book in front of her, then stood up. "Well, I hate to do this to you but I actually have somewhere to be in a few minutes."

"Strategy meeting?"

"Not tonight. Just meeting up with another friend."

Vaike nodded. He looked at Robin for a moment and his heart began to pound as that question wormed its way back into his skull. "I'll walk you out then."

"What a gentleman, walking me out of my own tent."

They shared a quiet laugh. Once they were outside, Robin turned to face him.

"Same time tomorrow?"

Actually he was thinking-

"Yeah, just like always." His answer came without him thinking it through.

Robin nodded. "Alrighty. Goodnight, Vaike." She started to walk away.

His heart leaped out of his chest. Vaike reached out and tried to say anything, but all he heard were Robin's boots on the dirt as she got further and further away. Before he knew it, he was running after her. "Wait!"

Robin stopped, turning on a heel to face him once more. "Yes?" She looked him dead in the eyes, lips slightly parted as she searched his face for answers.

"I… uh…" He could barely hear her over the sound of his own heart. It rattled the inside of his brain, and the beat drowned his thoughts. His heart was going to explode, he could feel it. There was such an acute pain that lingered after every pulse that he couldn't take it anymore.

Robin rested her hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "What's wrong?" She furrowed her brow. "Vaike, you can talk to me."

Taking a breath, he looked her in the eye. His hands were trembling. "I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to… I don't know, go to dinner or something tomorrow instead?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth went agape. Robin stood there without a response, staring at Vaike. Then she blinked. "Vaike I don't know what to say. I'm immensely flattered." There was another pause as her lips twitched downward and she found that she could not look at him anymore. "But I have to decline, I'm sorry. I just don't see you that way."

His heart burst. "Oh."

"I'm really, really sorry." She managed to look up at him. "I think you're an incredible guy, I just…" She shook her head. What could she say? Something about finding someone else or that he wasn't the incredible guy for her? She shook her head. "I'm doing such a terrible job at explaining this."

Vaike patted her hands, then slowly removed them both. "No, I get it." He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I just couldn't live with myself if I never tried."

"You're… not mad?"

"No way Teach would hold this against you." He squeezed her hand. "You were honest."

Robin frowned, her eyes darting across every inch of his face. "Vaike, I just want you to know how much your friendship means to me, how much your trust in me means to me." She stepped closer, hesitated, and then wrapped her arms around his large frame. "Please don't ever think you 'ruined' what we have by being honest yourself."

There was a slight gasp as she hugged him, but after a moment, Vaike found some sort of strength to weakly return it. "I won't." Though she barely came up to the crook of his neck, Vaike felt so small in her grasp.

They maintained it for a while longer, then Robin broke the hug. She just stood there in front of Vaike, lips glued shut. She rubbed the back of her right hand like always and she was looking right at him without saying a word. There had to be a solution to this, a way to ease Vaike's wounds that she just caused.

"Well, don't want to keep your friend waiting." Vaike was smiling, but all it did was stab Robin's heart again. "Go on, I'm okay."

She wanted to say sorry again, she wanted to find some way to make him feel better. But maybe the best thing she could do now was to give him some space. Robin nodded and turned away. Giving Vaike one last look, she walked away.

Once she rounded the corner, Vaike let out a heavy sigh. He scratched his head and walked in the opposite direction. "Shit, that hurt." No tears welled up in his eyes, but he felt that gnawing emptiness form a pit in his chest. He felt wide-awake, but not in the way that Robin had made him feel. The thought of sleeping didn't even come to mind, so he walked past his tent and made his way for the training grounds.

Vaike swung at a training dummy, his movements felt heavy yet his attacks hardly left a scratch. After a while, he backed off and took a seat on the ground. He was panting, his shoulders were sagging. Looking up, he saw the moon and simply stared at it for a time.

"Quite the lonely night, wouldn't you say?"

He turned to see who it was and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "L-Lady Emmeryn…" Vaike blinked, then scrambled to assume a kneeling position.

"Peace, friend. I am not here to garner admiration." She walked forward and then took a seat right next to Vaike. "I saw you out here by your lonesome and decided that I would speak with you."

Scratching his head, Vaike glanced at her. "Surely there are more soph… sophisticated individuals to converse with."

"Please, speak freely. I tire of others walking on eggshells around me." Emmeryn frowned. "The stuffy diction too… most unlike you, Teach."

He laughed a bit at that. "Yeah, well, hope I impressed at least."

Emmeryn smiled and the conversation hit a light lull. She watched the moon, her lips set in a firm line.

Vaike looked behind himself. "Ain't Frederick or Philla with you?"

"No, they both assume I'm asleep in my tent." Emmeryn sighed. "I love peace, but I can seldom experience it with so many hovering around me."

"I getcha." Vaike turned towards her. "Our secret then."

Emmeryn nodded, a small smile danced on her lips. "Might I ask what troubles you?"

"That easy to see through me, huh?"

"Normally, you knock the heads off these training targets within a minute, then hastily put them back together and start again in earnest." Emmeryn tapped her chin, humming a tune to herself. "Sometimes you're here with that Feroxi man. Lon'qu, was it?"

His eyes went wide. "Didn't know you were watching me so closely."

"It's difficult not to pay attention to the self-made man, especially when I once knew him as a little boy lost in the slums." Emmeryn pulled her knees close to her chest. "What a ridiculous promise you made back then. It was something about 'becoming the greatest warrior in the world', yes? And yet, here you are. By your own will no less."

"My dream ain't ridiculous." Vaike looked right at her.

She nodded. "Forgive me. It just struck me as peculiar hearing a young boy say that at the time." Emmeryn watched him after saying this, not blinking.

"Fair." He unclenched his hand and went back to looking at the moon. "Still remember how you had the whole town under a spell with your words of peace and happiness. Never seen anything like that before." Vaike could feel Emmeryn's eyes on him. It was as if the sun had suddenly reappeared and was bearing down on him. "I wanted to be just like you, fighting for peace. Think I took the saying a little too literally, eh?"

Her shoulders went slack and Emmeryn laughed. "No, I wouldn't say that at all. You've done well to follow such a path." Covering her mouth with her hand, she took a breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her lips curled upwards on her pale and smooth skin. The burning sun had vanished and the gentle moon returned to its quiet night. "You are not the only one to realize that words are not always sufficient for achieving peace."

Vaike snorted. "Ol' Chrom is getting to you. Listen, I know he means well, but don't let him influence you too much. If Ylisse keeps going back and forth between 'aggressive' and 'passive' peace, I think every other nation around us won't take kindly to that." He shrugged. "If you ask me, just keep on doing what you do best. Commit! Yeah, that's the word."

The small speech threw her train of thought off the rails entirely. She mouthed the word 'commit', then touched her own lips, as if it seared her skin. A deep frown appeared not a moment later. "But… what if people do not agree with my ways anymore?" She looked at him. "What if I find myself not agreeing with what I do anymore?"

He scratched his chin. "Maybe it's time for a change then." Looking at her, he saw how she shrank inwards on herself. Her already light frame all but seemed that it would be lost to the wind. Hesitantly, he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe… maybe it's time to choose." He laid his hand there for a moment longer, then retracted it. "Just what I think though. Me personally? I know I ain't any good with words and speeches so I just picked up my axe and started defending the peace."

"Yes, I suppose that is what you're doing, isn't it?" Smirking, she bowed her head. "Thank you, Vaike. Your insight has given me much to consider."

"Hey, I already got a big head. Don't go making it any bigger."

They laughed amongst themselves and for a moment, Vaike didn't feel as if he lost something irreplaceable inside. He could barely hear Emmeryn's laugh, yet the warmth that radiated from its embrace made the hundreds of thoughts about Robin grow quieter, just a bit.

"Now that I think about it, you haven't told me what was bothering you before." Emmeryn looked him the eyes. "You're better at controlling a conversation than you let on."

Reality came crashing back in. Vaike sighed, waving her away. "Nothing I want to talk about, I'll sleep it off." Maybe.

"It must've been something terrible if it has you in such a state."

"Emmeryn-"

"Did someone hurt you?" She propped her chin up in her hand, tilting her head to look at him.

Vaike stared for a moment. "…Yeah. Well, not exactly. It's complicated."

She smirked. "I run an entire kingdom every day. That is complicated." Emmeryn leaned forward. "Try me."

The invitation to open up, in turn, made Vaike uncross his arms. "I asked Robin to go to dinner."

Emmeryn quirked a brow, leaning even closer when he didn't continue. "And?"

All it took was a shake of his head.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She was frowning now and reached out to his shoulder like he just had. "I take it you understand?"

"Yeah." Vaike just managed to register Emmeryn's hand touching him. "Lon'qu was going to tell me, I could see it. Truth be told, I knew from the start." His lips curled upward in a smile, but his eyes remained untouched by emotion. "But I'd be damned if I didn't try."

"My brother was always rather fond of the… tactician." She rubbed his shoulder. "These things happen, Vaike. Just because you've tripped doesn't mean you won't walk again."

He smiled. "Maybe, but it still hurts."

There was no ambience in the dead of night nor was there anything that Emmeryn could say to fill the void. She felt the writhing nothingness exude from Vaike and knew that her voice had nothing left to say. So she sat there with him in silence, watching the moon and the stars above. There were no worries, no fear of death in battle. It was peaceful and Emmeryn found herself frowning at that. Thoughts became rampant in her head, the quiet evening soon turning into a cacophony of ideas and what ifs. Her eyes glazed over as she unfocused on the present and cast herself adrift her mind, all while whispering to herself.

She blinked when she heard her name, turning to Vaike. He was staring at her.

"You good?"

There was a pregnant pause as her gaze darted all over his face. She settled on making eye contact, staring at him. He didn't blink either. Her mouth opened, words were already forming in her head to support her claims. They were alike, he would understand. It had to be just right. "Quite so," she said, then retreated into silence.

Vaike stared a while longer. He searched her face for anything, but all he saw was her slightly pale face. He shrugged and stood up. "Think I'm gonna hit the hay, got a big day tomorrow after all." He offered her his hand.

Emmeryn shook her head, standing up on her own. "Don't remind me. We're walking into a wasteland to meet with a king who officially sanctions the active worship of a world destroying dragon." She gave him a look. "Their people may also try to kill me if we are to go off our recent reports of banditry."

Vaike remembered those, a scar across his right arm tingled just at the thought. They were bandits alright, beefy and musclebound as well. They all had a bad habit of wearing dark colors too, and given the nomadic lifestyle of Plegians living in the desert, something just wasn't adding up with the claims. "Didn't know you hated Plegia that much."

She turned away from him. "I don't, I just find deserts to be… not my favorite, we'll say. Regardless, you made a good point. I hope you sleep well."

"Hey, thanks for checking up on ol' Teach."

Emmeryn smiled at him. "Perhaps we should chat more often. I find myself appreciating your unique perspective." With that, she bowed her head and headed off to her tent.

Once she was out of sight, Vaike let out a breath. It still felt like there was a pit in his stomach, and every beat of his heart seemed to make it worse. But he felt lighter, if only by a small amount. "Whatever it takes," he muttered. "I'll get through this."